The overall goals of this proposal are to provide an interdisciplinary approach to studies on the control of the ciruclation and the pathogenesis of hypertension beginning in early life. The proposal consists of projects which have a broad scope ranging from the examination of cellular mechanisms to the control of the circulation across the distribution of blood pressure during childhood. Four projects are included in this proposal. Three of these are related to animal models: 1) Neurotrophic influences on cardiac muscle hypertrophy in the spontaneously hypertensive rat, 2) the effrects of neonatal salt feedings on the development of cardiovascular control, 3) Developmental changes in the sympathetic control of renal hemodynamics. The fourth project concerning blood pressure control will be carried out in groups of school age children whose blood pressures are tracking towards high and low blood pressure and has two parts. This application is by 8 investigators from 5 departments. Their efforts will be coordinated through the Iowa Cardiovascular Center which will supply administrative focus and a relationship to core laboratories which will supply biostatistical consultation, hypertensive animals, and renal chemistries. Many of the investigators in this project have a history of producive collaboration between them and this program should foster new research emphasis that relates directly to the control of the circulation in the young and to the hypertensive process as it expresses itself in its earliest phase.